1907] 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



177 



THE BEE-KEEPING WORLD 



Staff Contributors: F. Greiner, Adrian Getaz 

 Contributions'to this deparlmcnl are solicited {rom all quarters oi the earth 



ITALY. 



Steam and Electric Knives. 



Two new styles of uncapping Icnives 

 are offered to the world by M. Tonelli, 

 Italy. Tlie blade of one is connected 

 with an electric apparatus and kept 

 "hot" while working with it. The 

 other one has a hollow blade and steam 

 is introduced into it by way of a rub- 

 ber tube through the wood handle. In 

 this manner it is kept hot while at 

 work. The rubber tubing, they say, 

 does not bother at all. — Phaelz. B. Z. 



Larvae of the Wax Moth. 



In a small pamphlet Rauschenfels, 

 of Mailand, Italy, gives the life history 

 of the wax moth very explicitly. It 

 was written some years ago, but the 

 facts are as true as ever. I quote from 

 it the following which may be of in- 

 terest to many: 



"After mating the female moth de 

 posits inside of two or three days about 

 80 small white or yellowish eggs which 

 grow darker with age. They are usual- 

 ly found in the accumulation on the 

 bottom board, in cracks inside, seldom 

 on the combs themselves. As soon 

 as the eggs have hatched the minute 

 worm spins for itself a tube-shaped 

 house for its protection. It feeds on 

 wax and bee-cocoons, also pollen, 

 which, however, is not necessary (?) 

 for its development. Wax is their 

 principal food, but in absence of it 

 they gnaw wood, leather, paper, dry 

 leaves; they even eat their own ex- 

 crements. When the larva has reach- 

 ed its full size it leaves its hiding place 

 and encases itself in a cocoon some- 

 where, either between the frames and 

 hive wall, or some similar place. 

 Sometimes it takes the risk of making 

 its way through the entrance of the 

 hive to a secure place outside, and 

 is thus often surprised by bees and 

 killed. The cocoon of the large variety 

 is smooth; that of the small variety 

 rough and mixed with bits of wax. 

 The time required to mature the ma- 

 ture insect from the egg is fifty days. 

 In case of the small variety a few 



days less. They pass the winter in 

 dormant state. The pupae endure a 

 temperature of 10 degrees F. with 

 impunity. The eggs remain unchang- 

 ed all winter and ready to hatch as 

 soon as the temperature becomes 

 warm enough in spring. — Deutsche 

 Imper a-B. 



GERMANY. 



Few Implements Needed. 



It is surprising to see the many dif- 

 ferent apicultural implements pictured 

 in price lists received from Germany. 

 Whether these are necessary for the 

 successful management of an apiary 

 may be questioned. It is stated that 

 great old Dzierzon was satisfied with 

 a "jack knife," and some have given 

 him the title "a modern Diogenes." 



Single-walled hives are not as com- 

 monly used in Europe as in America. 

 Where they are mentioned, I notice, 

 it is advised "not to paint them." 



Editor Freudenstein finds no better 

 use for pollen combs than to melt them 

 for wax or sell them to someone else. 



"No Cause for Action." 



A suit was brought against several 

 parties in Wuerzburg on September 

 28 last, for practicing fraud in selling 

 Havana honey for A No. i extracted 

 honey. Adulteration could not be 

 proven, but it was admitted that the 

 Havana honey bought was dirty, full 

 of dead bees, etc., and that it was 

 warmed and strained, thus removing 

 all foreign matter. This honey was 

 advertised in different papers as pure 

 unadulterated extracted honey from 

 their own bee yard. The bee yard 

 proved to be one swarm of bees. The 

 suit was dismissed, the verdict — "no 

 cause for action." 



Wygandt says in his book on bee 

 culture, in regard to old brood combs 

 and the honey stored in such: "If 



